The prioritization of health in the workplace started long before the pandemic hit, but the health crisis has revitalized these efforts as companies prepare to adopt new work policies.
Implementing wellness programs are no longer nice-to-have perks โ they are a necessity to thrive in the future of work. This should involve rethinking office design, workplace arrangements and other policies that guarantee the employee experience and work environment are nurtured.
However, some companies are still skeptical of having a wellness program despite research proving the numerous benefits.
For instance, a study from WellSteps, which includes statistics from a Rand Report, shows there are seven major benefits to wellness programs, including: enhancing employee behavior, reducing elevated health risks, reducing healthcare costs, boosting productivity, improving recruitment and retention and increasing employee morale.
โWe find that workplace wellness programs can help contain the current epidemic of lifestyle-related diseases, the main driver of premature morbidity and mortality as well as healthcare cost in the United States,โ said Soeren Mattke, lead author of the Rand Report.
These programs mean more than improving physical health, it means addressing the increased issues of mental health that have impacted the workforce over the past year or so.
